Filling Dillon Gabriel’s cleats sounds like a dream, doesn’t it? But then you remember those cleats came with a whopping 30 touchdowns and a third-place Heisman finish. Now, Coach Dan Lanning has handed the keys to the offense over to Dante Moore, that former 5-star recruit and the hope is the Ducks don’t lose any steam in that championship chase. Gabriel totally set the bar super high, and whether Moore kills it or hits some bumps—that pressure isn’t optional; it just comes with the gig. But right now, it’s all about learning the ropes.
Oregon’s back at it after spring break, getting ready for a big month of work. They’ve had three practices in, and the Ducks are starting to feel comfortable, but there’s still ground to cover before that spring game in 25 days. Coach Dan Lanning has already seen some serious growth in Dante Moore and the other young quarterbacks as they’ve been studying Dillon Gabriel’s game tape.
“You know, for all of our quarterbacks, Austin (Novosad), Dante, you know, every guy in that room, Brock (Thomas), Luke (Moga), you know, I think being able to watch the way again, like I just said, what a professional looks like, how they operate day in and day out. You know, when they realize there’s an issue, how do you attack it? Right? One of Dillon’s best traits is, hey, something’s not going right, I need to go pop in with Coach Lanning or Coach [Will] Stein and say, ‘Hey, how can we get this right?’ Right, being proactive, not reactive,” Lanning said at his latest media meet.
This spring, all eyes are glued to Oregon’s QB1 battle, with Coach Lanning keeping a close watch on Dante Moore and Austin Novosad going at it. But it’s not just about the competition; Lanning sees the whole QB crew—Moore, Novosad, Brock Thomas, and Luke Moga—picking up some serious knowledge from Dillon Gabriel. His crazy 3,857 yards with 30 TDs and only 6 interceptions last season totally shows why Lanning trusted him. Plus, that 72.9% completion rate? That’s just next-level.
And that’s the kind of standard Coach Lanning wants to keep going with the future quarterbacks, as he put it, “And you know, Dillon did a great job of that. So I think all of our quarterbacks in that room, Austin, Dante, and Luke, I mean, every one of them, and then obviously some of these young guys, that standard gets established, that becomes the Oregon standard.”
Now, this could be huge for Dante Moore, who transferred from UCLA, where things were a little up and down. Remember that Utah game in 2023? He was under constant pressure and got sacked 7 times. But even with that, he still finished with 1,610 yards, 11 TDs, and 9 interceptions. After that, he got to learn under Dillon last season, and now that Dillon’s off to the NFL, Moore might just be the guy.
Oregon insiders Jason Piacelli and his co-host from the ROC Boys Football podcast were super open about it. Piacelli sounded really hopeful, saying, “What excites me the most about Dante Moore is that the ceiling with this Oregon offense, with Dante Moore at the helm, is, in my opinion, infinitely higher than it was with Dillon Gabriel.” That’s some serious praise for Dante Moore right there. But with Novosad still in the picture, it’s tough to say for sure who’ll get the starting nod. But for right now, Coach Dan Lanning and the team are just locked in on this learning and development phase.
Former Ducks’ impact on Dan Lanning’s QB room
Over the years, Oregon quarterbacks like Jeremiah Masoli, Marcus Mariota, Bo Nix, and Dillon have all been awesome dual-threat guys, making plays all over the field. But with pocket passers like Moore or Austin Novosad now in the mix, that could change a bit. The good news is that all these quarterbacks have had the chance to learn from some truly great players, which could end up making a big difference for the team.
As Coach Dan Lanning pointed out, “More than anything, it’s watching how those guys work, right, whether it’s Dillon, Bo, obviously, the success that Justin’s have, but the details that those guys, you know, go in, day in and day out, the professionalism that the position requires, the confidence that they have, you know, all those things pay off, and they come with time.” That’s just a fact.
You look at a talent like Justin Herbert, that 6’6″, 236-pound guy whose arm and mobility were game-changers for Oregon and then the Chargers—you can’t deny the impact. Same goes for Bo Nix; he led the FBS in touchdowns and got picked by the Broncos in the first round of the 2024 NFL draft, and get this—he even became their starter as a rookie, leading the Broncos to their first playoff appearance since 2015! If that’s not something to get inspired by, then what is?
And that’s exactly what Coach Dan Lanning thinks—“Being able to see the way Bo Nix takes notes every single day in a meeting benefits, you know, someone or the younger quarterbacks on our team being able to see the way Dillon competed on the field, or his ability to keep a great temperament in the middle of a game. I think all those things benefited those guys.” In fact, Herbert, Nix, and Gabriel were all back at the Ducks’ Pro Day last month, all together again. Looks like the Ducks are banking on their past legends to fuel their future.
From Masoli’s electricity to Mariota’s magic, Bo Nix’s brilliance, and Gabriel’s game-changing season, these guys have set the standard. And now, with those vets sharing their wisdom with the hungry young quarterbacks, you got to wonder: is this the year all that accumulated knowledge finally pushes Oregon over the edge and snags that elusive championship trophy?
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